A man flew into a rage and beat an innocent dog because the pet urinated on the floor while it was home alone, according to police in the United Kingdom.

Now, the suspect has been disqualified from keeping animals for life after he admitted to beating his pet puppy with a belt because it ripped a cushion and urinated in his house.

22-year-old Joshua Higgins of Bescot Street, Walsall, was sentenced at the Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, after he was found guilty in his absence of causing unnecessary suffering to the dog.

After he did not turn up to court for the earlier hearing, a warrant was issued by the court for his arrest and as a result, he appeared in court for sentencing.

As well as the lifetime disqualification order, Higgins was ordered to pay about $700 in costs and ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) was alerted to the incident after a member of the public said that they heard a man beating a dog inside his house.

RSPCA inspector Charlotte Melvin, who investigated the case, said: “A member of the public could hear the terrified yelping of a dog inside the house, and contacted the police – who contacted us as soon as possible.

“Higgins admitted to the police that he beat his dog – a five-month-old Staffordshire bull terrier named Tyson – with his belt because the dog had destroyed a cushion and urinated inside the house while he was out.

“Tyson’s face was swollen and his ear was full of blood. He was so scared that he defecated on the floor while he was being hit with the belt.

“Higgins only had Tyson for two weeks when the incident happened. It really is so sad that he went through this, as he is such a loving dog. He was clearly very frightened during the attack, and when he first came into the RSPCA’s care, he was very nervous, especially around men.

“Thankfully, he seems to have gotten his confidence back and is now a different dog.” Tyson has since been happily adopted by another family.